Consolevania gets movie rights

Doom, BloodRayne, Silent Hill... Big screen game adaptations are big news these days, even if they are almost all completely rubbish.

Now it seems that the people behind Consolevania, the online games show which spawned BBC series videoGaiden, have acquired some movie rights of their very own.

Yes, next month, pre-production will begin on Hover Bovver: The Movie. Hover Bovver, for those of you who don't even know what cassettes are, was the work of loveable old hippy Jeff Minter (he's also the man behind Neon, the Xbox 360's crazy light synth thing).

The game, which was released in 1983 on Commodore 64, saw you playing as a bloke called Gordon Bennet who nicked a lawnmower off his neighbour. Your mission was to mow 16 lawns before the neighbour caught up with you, or before the screen went all blue and yellow and you had to rewind the tape and start again.

"We're delighted to have finally secured the rights to this property," said Consolevania's Robert Florence.

"It has always been a dream of mine to bring that loveable lawnmower-stealing rogue Gordon Bennet to the big screen, and I relish the challenge ahead."

Can't wait. In the meantime, why not check out the new "adults only" episode of Consolevania over at Consolevania.com. No, not as funny as the Batman review, but then what is.

Ellie spent nearly a decade working at Eurogamer, specialising in hard-hitting executive interviews and nob jokes. These days she does a comedy show and podcast. She pops back now and again to write the odd article and steal our biscuits.